Raven
by Luna Moonlight Fawn
Summary: AU.Bearclaw and Joyleaf had another child? A daughter outside of recognition. This is her story and takes place during Wolfrider saga and beyond. It's my first fanfic so please R&R:
1. Prologue

**Raven**

What if Bearclaw and Joyleaf had a daughter before they got Cutter?

How would she be like? Well, I created Raven and she is the complete

opposite of Cutter. Where Cutter is blond and blue eyed and the best of both of his parents, Raven is black haired and green eyed and the worst of

both of her parents. Here comes her story, may it be as interesting to

read for you as it was interesting for me to write it.

Shade and sweet water,

Luna Moonlight Fawn

Disclaimer: None of the ElfQuest characters are owned by me except

for Raven. They're all owned and created by Wendy and Richard Pini c",)


	2. Of births and naming's

**Of births and naming's.**

Disclaimer: None of the EQ-characters are mine except Raven. She's created by me and thereby owned by me, if you wish to use her in a story of your own contact me and we'll see what we can do.

It was an early night when the first baby cries could be heard throughout the Holt. A first cub born of love mates for centuries. Somehow, amazingly enough, Bearclaw and Joyleaf had become parents to a newborn girl cub. It had been as much of a shock to the parents as it had been to the tribe.

After the death of Crescent Bearclaw hadn't been the same and when Shale and EyesHigh died it got even worse. He were more and more spending time in the troll caverns and less and less time with the tribe not making certain that they were safe. That last order anyone could remember him giving was that no one went alone in the forest and that lifebearers (the women) weren't allowed to hunt. However on one of those occasions were he wasn't at the troll caverns, it seemed he and Joyleaf had been able to created a baby cub.

Now the new girl cub was nuzzled in leather and safely placed in Joyleaf's arms with Bearclaw looking curiously on.

Clearbrook and Moonshade smiled at the look of complete amazement on Bearclaw's face. Rain the Healer also watching the way Bearclaw looked. Bearclaw hadn't been around much when it came to cubs being born, except when the cub was introduced to the tribe and given a name. He wasn't that interested in the cubs growing up either, at least not until they were old enough to learn how to hunt and fight. Which basically meant till they were at least 3 or 4 turns of the seasons old.

Rain smiled, Bearclaw's face truly was fun to look at as that was not something showed so much. Not to mention that he wasn't in the troll caverns either. Perhaps this would be a good thing for all of us. Maybe he will be around here some more from now on, Rain thought.

"Look Bearclaw, isn't she beautiful?" asked Joyleaf.

"She looks so small. Is she really meant to be so small?"Bearclaw asked.

Clearbrook and Moonshade started laughing as Bearclaw gave them a dirty look.

Even Rain smiled, though he tried to hide it. An angry or upset Bearclaw was not a good thing. Everyone knew that, but it seemed like the little girl cub had calmed him somehow. Because he didn't retaliate the way he usually did. He just gave them a dirty look and then looked back at his lifemate and cub with amazement and curiosity.

Joyleaf chuckled as she said,"Of course she's normal. All cubs are like this in the beginning."

"Well, I hope she grows up fast. I'm not used to with cubs this small and why does she has to cry all the time? Doesn't she ever stop?"Bearclaw asked.

"It will take time for her to grow up, Bearclaw. She cries because she's hungry."Moonshade said. Then she added,"Perhaps she's inherited your bad temper too, tough."

Bearclaw gave her a really dirty look and said grumpily,"I never have a bad temper, it's just that everyone else never does anything to make me happy that's all."

"Well, anyway the girl needs a name. So, what will it be?"asked Clearbrook, trying really hard to hold back the laughter at the sight of Bearclaw's look of grumpiness and amazement at the same time because of the question she had asked.

"Well."Joyleaf said with a chuckle in her voice,"how about it, old badger, what will her name be? Personally I like Raven, because of her raven black hair."

"Then Raven it will be, till another comes up,"said Bearclaw with a firm tone in his voice,"I wouldn't have known what to name her anyway."

When the other three females heard that they couldn't hold their laughter back, but burst out in loud laughter while Bearclaw gave them such a grumpy look that they couldn't stop laughing even if they had wanted to. Even Rain started chuckling with a smile on his face.

A/N: This is my first fan fiction story ever, so please review and come with any comments you wish to add. Anything that might help me becoming a better author would be highly appreciated. Any questions you may have will be answered in upcoming chapters. I don't know how far I'll take the story, but it's been placed about three years after Skywise's birth. Bearclaw haven't participated so much in Skywise's first years that's why he's not used with baby cubs.

A/N #2: I've just begun rereading the wolfrider series, but please understand that this is slightly AU even though the time line is normal. I rated the story a T because of upcoming chapters and just to be certain that it didn't go to bad on the rating. This chapter's been revised both because of my first reviewer as well as the fact that I reread the series and decided to put in some additional characters that I forgot earlier, like Rain the Healer. Please review it would be greatly appreciated c",)

Shade and sweet water,

Luna Moonlight Fawn c",)


	3. Of buckhunting and how to throw an axe

**Buck hunting and how to throw an axe.**

Disclaimer: ElfQuest does not belong to me. It belongs to WARP Graphics Inc. and DC Comics Inc. Raven and Grimshanks however belongs to me. If you want to use any of them in a story of your own, please contact me beforehand and we'll see what we can do,ok:-)

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Seven turns of the seasons later, it was autumn and Raven was looking for her uncle Treestump in the area around the Holt. She wanted him to teach her how to throw an axe and she wasn't about to give up. Even though she had clearly been told by her parents that she wasn't allowed to, because she was to young.

Raven was a stubborn little girl cub and was told she had that from her mother Joyleaf. Her temper she had been told that she had from her father, chief Bearclaw, along with an impatience only rivaled by her sire.

At the moment her parents weren't on talking grounds after her father had hit her mother, because she had gone against him for his drinking and visiting the troll caverns too much.

After Crescent, Shale and EyesHigh's death he had blamed himself, but it had gone against the good of the tribe and now Raven thought to herself was an excellent oppertunity to learn how to throw an axe since none of her parents paid much attention to her these days. They were just to angry at one another to notice much.

Suddenly she found the scent of Treestump. He had gone chasing after a great big buck. After she'd been born and Bearclaw continued to go to the troll caverns. Everyone had simply found it easier to lighten up on the noone goes alone rule. After all the humans hadn't attacked anymore.

Bearclaw had been with her sometimes though. He was the one who taught her how to use a sword and hunt, but he wasn't that good at aiming and killing a prey because of his impatience and she wasn't that much better either. It was Joyleaf who'd been with them on some hunting trips that had the best patience and aim and would strike down a prey.

Father didn't like it so much mostly because his pride was hurt, but the tribe needed meat so he wasn't the one to hold a grudge. Except against the humans, though. He had never forgiven them or himself for the lost lives of the tribe. Only Strongbow had a deeper grudge against them than Bearclaw, but Bearclaw was chief and loyal Strongbow didn't do anything against his chief's command. Even if that meant holding the hatred against the fivefingers at bay and not attack them.

Now back to Raven. After she found his scent she went chasing after him and shortly she came to the clearing were Treestump was busy with the buck. It had already been killed it just needed to be butchered as well. It was a great big buck, after his prime and it would feed the tribe and pack well.

«Hello, uncle Treestump. I see the hunt went well.» Raven smiled. A wicked grin that everyone knew meant trouble on her face.

«Hello there yourself cub,»Treestump replied,«What brings you here this evening?» asked Treestump.

«Well,»answered Raven,«I want you to teach me how to throw an axe».

Treestump just looked at her with a shocked expression on his face.

«You want me to teach you WHAT?» Treestump asked with a I-don't-belive-it sort of voice. Still with a shocked face. He was so shocked he had just stopped butchering the buck entirely.

«Do you know what your parents would do to me if they knew I was teaching you that? Or what would happen to you?» Anger rising in his voice.

«Well, they wouldn't know now would they?» asked Raven.«They're still not talking to one another at the moment. Everyone knows that. So since none of them pay much attention to me, because father hit mother. There isn't really that much danger in them finding out now, is there?»Raven finished saying.

«It doesn't matter cub, they'll still find out sooner or later and then they'll want both our hides for disobeying them,» Treestump replied, then adding. «Even if they didn't find out. I still wouldn't teach you now anyway. You're too young. You wouldn't even be able to lift up the axe.»

«I would too,» Raven begun, disagreeing with an angry voice,«I'm not to young. I'm stronger than Crescent was and Skywise is.»She was getting really upset now. She wasn't too young, she thought to herself. She was seven turns of the seasons old, had a wolffriend, Grimshanks, and was better than most at all the other weaponery. Not to mention hunting were only were only Bearclaw and Strongbow was better than her, almost that is, some of the others were also better than her, she had to admit. Even though, that only was because she didn't hunt as much as they did, she stubbornly added.

«No,»Treestump replied,«You might be strong for your age, but there are still to many other good reasons for me not to teach you how to throw and hunt with an axe.»

Then seeing her upset and angry face Treestump added,«Don't you want to help me with buck now and when you get old enough, I'll be more than happy to teach you the ways of the axe. Untill then, I won't go against my chief or your mother, the High One's knows how dangerouse that is,» Treestump said with a smile on his face.

After hearing this, Raven set out to help Treestump, but in her mind she was occupied with figuring out how soon she'd be able too learn the ways of the axe.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed the rest of the story and I'm really sorry for not being able to write and upload the story untill now. You know what to do review please and thank you so much to all those who have review the story so far. I truly appreciate it, so any comments about the story is very much welcomed:-)

Shade and sweet water to all of you,

Fawn


	4. Reminiscing, recognition and lessons

Reminiscing, recognition and lessons to learn

Disclaimer: ElfQuest belongs to WaRP Graphics Inc. and DC Comics Inc. Raven and Grimshanks belongs to a certain point to me ;-) If you want to loan her in a story of your own or Grimshanks, please contact me first and we'll see what to do, ok:)

«Talking»

_«Thinking»_

Sending

_Wolfsend_

A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews I really appreciate them, they make my day:) Revelingininsanity, Tyleet87, Kikyo AKA THE DEAD BITCH, ephona, flower and even TheAvengingWarrior;-) THANK YOU ALL:D I'm sorry I haven't been able to update sooner:c) I know you all deserve more, but unfortunately I ended having a major writers block...much due to me reading the new Norwegian EQ series:) They're like the English, but they are with more contents to them and bigger and smaller in paper size. So when lots of stories that came from the Blood of Ten Chiefs series and In All But Blood was added in the Norwegian series, I kinda got a bit confused about what to write:c) The English version of the series is easier to understand:)

Well anyways, now you've got the next chapter up and I hope it won't be as long until the next time I update the story, but I can't make any guarantees:c)

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It was in the early beginning of the newgreen season, when Raven was sitting a little away from the closest boarders of the Holt by the stream on a stone for herself. She didn't really want any company at the moment. She had really tried to persuade her uncle Treestump in every possible way to let her learn how to throw an axe, but he still wouldn't let her learn from him.

She remembered the last time she'd tried to make him teach her about the axe. It had only been a few nights ago. She had gone into the woods on her own as she usually did and she had hunted down and killed her very own buck for the first time. She then had tried to get her uncle's attention by sending to him. Telling him about her good hunt and that she could use his help to get the buck brought with her back to the Holt. She had been so proud of herself. Her very own first buck and she was only seven turns of the seasons, but his sending made her cringe of guilt and shame.

While other elf cubs her age would play nearby the Holt. She would always be out wandering by her own. Just as much wanting solitude as her chief father Bearclaw wanted. Other elf cubs would learn more about hunting when they got older and they wouldn't be allowed to hunt on their own for big game until they were at least seventeen turns of the seasons old. She had broken more than one fundamental and basic hunting rule among the Wolfriders.

First of all she was only old enough to hunt smaller prey on her own, second she went after big game which she wasn't allowed to do until she got much older and third and most importantly. She had killed a young buck not even after his prime. She had gone against the Way and that was something no Wolfrider could accept, nor respect and she was a chief's daughter. She was supposed to be a good example for everyone and she had broken the Way.

She still could see the looks on her parents faces when she had to confront them. They were so sad and disappointed with her. Bearclaw was also angry since she was his daughter and she hadn't followed the Way, but had gone against his command. Other Wolfriders would have cringed and not only hated being in her shoes, but they would never have been foolish enough to do something like she had done either.

Raven felt really sorry for herself there sitting on the stone. She wasn't to young to be punished, but her punishment was far stricter than she would have liked, then again she wasn't the one to give out punishments, her father was. Her punishment was that she would never be able to leave the Holt on her one again. She always had to be within earshot of the closest boarders of the Holt. She was not allowed to hunt on her own again and to top it all off her hunting gear was taken away from her. No knife, no bow or arrows, no stinking toy bow and arrows either.

If it hadn't been for Grimshanks she would really have been miserable.

Non of the other Wolfriders would even talk to her. Not even her best friend Skywise that she sometimes played pranks with against the other Wolfriders. It was never any really mean pranks so they never got any serious yelling s for it. Cubs were such a rarity that the entire tribe looked at them with nothing but kindness and love.

Now however Skywise had been told not to talk with her because it was part of her punishment and even if he hadn't been told, he still wouldn't have talked to her because he too knew the Way and was absolutely convinced that she'd done wrong. Which she definitely had done too.

Grimshanks was the only one to keep her company this night. The humans were still around, so noone were allowed to leave the Holt on their own. Even if the others didn't talk with her at least her wolf friend was there to keep her company.

_Do you remember when we first met, Grimshanks? _Raven wolfsent to her wolf friend._It was on an evening just like this one _Raven smiled to herself and remembered that night not so long ago. After all it had only been one full turns of the seasons ago.

**_Flashback_**

_The night had been cool, but still warm. Just like one of those late nights in spring when it's neither cold, nor really warm like in the summer. Fireflies flew in the air as if they knew something special was to take place and wanted to celebrate it and make it more special. _

_All of the Wolfriders had been there. Just like they had when Skywise got his wolf friend Starjumper. He had bugged her for months about this, but not in a really annoying way. More like a big brother way. He had let her play with Starjumper, though, and let her ride him when he got old enough to be ridden. _

_This night however it was finally her turn. She was finally getting her own wolf friend. She could hardly stand the waiting. It was her parents wolfs that mated and were now going to show the rest of the tribe and pack their cubs, but first she was getting to participate in this very special ceremony. It wasn't every time you got your very first wolf friend, you know. Only once could that happen and never again. No matter how many wolf friends you got after your first._

_Joyleaf and Bearclaw was there encouraging her on, as was her uncle Treestump too and Skywise as well. Except Skywise was more teasing her saying things like, «maybe you should grow a little more then you could handle the cub more, but then again the cub might get so scared of you that it wouldn't come to you, but hide in the den scared for it's life». _

_She wasn't too happy about that memory considering that she had been more than nervous herself. Not that she would ever admit it, though. She was a chief's daughter after all and they fear nothing. The tribe's comfort and encouragement was something she had truly appreciated, though and it made the feeling of shame and guilt of breaking the Way even greater._

_After a lot of encouragement she'd gone to the opening of the den and after getting a lick on the cheek by her mother's wolf she ventured further into the den opening. She could hear a lot of wails and yips, but amongst that she also could hear a tiny growl. «THAT. That's my wolf friend» she thought. Are you there, little one? Come out. I won't harm you. I'm your elf friend. Out coming towards her was a tiny wolf cub growling to her. They stared at one another and suddenly they connected. Thar the wolf cub sent to her and she replied Grimshanks. _

_It was done. She scooped up the wolf cub that had stopped growling at her and instead came to her and in her arms the little wolf started licking her face over and over again. Behind her all of the Wolfriders started to howl accompanied by their own wolf friends. _

_Her parents came to her and hugged her. «What's your wolf friends name?» asked Bearclaw. «Grimshanks», Raven answered«he's as grim as anyone and resembles me more than any other». Hearing that Bearclaw and Joyleaf laughed knowing fully well that she was absolutely right. After all they did know their own cub, didn't they?_

_**End of flashback**_

It was one of many memories that she had, but this one she liked the best. Getting her first wolf friend was a good memory. Especially now, when she felt so lousy was it good to have some good memories. There were others, though, that weren't as great. Not during this time, though, but then again it was all a matter of perspective and time.

Like when she first got her knife and had to learn how to use it or when she got her first bow and arrows and had to learn how to use them. Not toys, but real ones. A real knife and a real bow and real arrows. Now she didn't have them anymore because she had disobeyed her father, gone against the Way and killed a young buck. The sour taste of reality and punishment wasn't a good taste to say it mildly and she hated every moment it.

Suddenly there was a loud howl that came from further into the forrest. Raven's head snapped towards the direction the howl came from. She knew that voice and she knew what the howl meant. Finally after being lovemates and lifemates for centuries her parents had recognized. She would have a younger sibling in a matter of two turns of the seasons. She wasn't sure how she should reply. She was happy for her parents and for the tribe, but what if they hadn't forgiven her yet? Should she reply or not?

While Raven was busy with her thoughts she didn't notice Clearbrook coming into the area she was in. Clearbrook came up to Raven and put her hand on Raven's shoulder. «Are you afraid that they might reject you, little one? Is that why your not replying?» asked Clearbrook. Startled Raven looked up at Clearbrook.

She must truly have been in her own thoughts not to hear her coming, but then again Clearbrook was the best in the tribe to hide of them all, second only to possibly Moonshadow. Raven wasn't exactly sure which one of them were the best, but she knew they were better that the rest of the tribe and she hoped they could teach her how to do it one day.

Sighing Raven answered, «Yes, I am truly happy for them and the tribe, but I'm not certain if they're not mad at me yet and I don't want them to get angry at me again when this is a time to rejoice. Everyone are angry at me now and all I wanted was for Uncle Treestump to see that I was old enough to learn how to throw an axe. I wanted him to be proud of me, instead I got the whole tribe angry at me instead.» Raven felt really miserable and Clearbrook saw that. «But why do you want to learn how to throw an axe of all things?» asked Clearbrook. She couldn't understand what a young girl only seven turns of the seasons like Raven would want to learn something like that for.

«Because», answered Raven« Father told me that all chiefs must know more than one weapon in order to defend the tribe and all though I know I'll never become a chieftess. I am a chief's daughter and it's my duty to protect the tribe and to do that I need to learn more about weapons and how to wield them so that I can protect the tribe when that time comes. Do you understand now, Clearbrook?»

Stunned Clearbrook wondered to herself how this little girl became so fiercely responsible and protective of the tribe, «She is more protective than Treestump, Strongbow and my lifemate One-Eye combined. She is definitely a chief's daughter and we have surely misunderstood her greatly, just like we never fully understand her chief father Bearclaw either».

The other Wolfriders who also had come to look for Clearbrook and Raven were just as amazed as Clearbrook was. «Well if that is the real reason for why she wanted to learn the ways of the axe I see no problem teaching her as long as Bearclaw and Joyleaf agrees that is», thought Treestump for himself. One-Eye and Strongbow had similar thoughts and without knowing it yet Raven had just earned their respect, all though all of the Elders agreed that she definitely should learn some hunting rules first and how to stick to them.

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A/N: I'm not certain if this was good or bad or something in the middel, review and tell me what you think will you:) Also I think this will only be the first part of two chapters that contain the same title, but I ended up with a writers block at the end. I know what I want it to contain I'm just not certain on how to word it, basically:-) Don't expect the next chapter to come up to soon, but I think I can make it come before or during Christmas. I'll see what I can do. Also I'm currently working on a Harry Potter fic which will probably come up during this autumn togheter with next chapter or not:-)

Shade and sweet water,

Fawn


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